Breaking
by GoldenEyesRock
Summary: When Edward goes to pick Bella up from Phoenix in Twilight, what are his thoughts? And what happens when he finds out James bit her?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is Edward's point of view, in Twilight, when he's going to get Bella from Phoenix. It starts with the phone call with Alice. Enjoy!**

"He's going to be at her mom's house." Alice's silky voice flowed from the phone, her words sharp and icy.

"What? Why? You're positive?" We had known that James left Forks, but… why would he go to Renée's house? It didn't make sense. How had he known?

"Look, I'm just telling you what I saw. We'll watch Bella, Edward, make sure she doesn't get into danger." Her words, far from soothing me, pushed me into action.

"Listen to me, Alice. Emmett, Carlisle, and I are taking the next flight out of Seattle to Phoenix. We're going to take her somewhere, away from James. Until then, you and Jasper are to keep a close eye on Bella. I don't care what she's doing, watch her at _all_ times." My words had an edge of menace, an unsaid threat, but inside, my heart was shattering slowly. With a softer tone, I said, "Please, Alice. For me."

I heard her sigh on the line. "Trust us, Edward. Bella will be safe with us."

I shut the cell phone. Carlisle was already dialing to the airlines, scheduling a flight that would arrive at Phoenix at 9:45 this morning.

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My hands drummed on the armrest, not feeling the plush seats of the first-class airline. I watched impatiently as the flight attendants went over emergency procedures and the schedules of the flight.

"Calm down, Edward," Emmett snapped, his patience thin. Next to him, Carlisle nodded.

"You know it's faster than running. Besides, Bella's safe with Alice and Jasper." I glanced over at his gentle eyes, eyes that had kept me on the right track for so long. Now, I wasn't sure if this was what I wanted.

It wasn't _fair_! To Bella; all the times I tried to convince her to leave me, I didn't try hard enough. Because of me, because of what I was, my angel was in danger.

What if we were too late? What if Alice and Jasper didn't fulfill their promise, didn't keep Bella safe? What if- I cringed at this thought- James won? The never-ending questions had answers I knew that Carlisle and Esme would hate.

I would have to go after James, of course. He couldn't live if he killed Bella. Speaking of which, I couldn't either. Life without Bella was… unimaginable, unendurable. I thought of Romeo and Juliet, the book we had been studying in English. _How ironic it is,_ I thought, shaking my head. They had so easy. A swig of a simple potion and their problems were solved. Again, it wasn't fair. Humans had an easy way out. I knew Emmett wouldn't help, so, for me, there was only one option: the Volturi.

Aro, Marcus, and Caius. I would have to go alone, and it would probably be the longest journey of my life.

I twisted uneasily in my seat as the plane touched the ground. A nasal voice came on the PA, "Welcome to the Sky Harbor Airport. It is a beautiful sunny day, 86 degrees outside. Please wait until the seat belt sign is turned off to unbuckle your seat belts. Please remove all belongings from overhead cabins and under your seats. Thank you, and welcome to Phoenix."

As soon as I could, I raced off the plane into the bustling terminal. Alice and Jasper were counting in their heads, a telltale sign that something had gone wrong- not to mention that Bella was nowhere in sight.

"Okay," I growled, shaking Alice. "Where is she?" She stared back at me with wide, anxious eyes.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but when she left to go to the bathroom, we lost her. She ran away from us." My eyes slid from her gaze, and immediately, not caring who saw, I ran as fast as I could towards the exit elevator, where her scent was barely lingering.

_I'm coming, Bella. I'm coming, my angel._

**A/N: So? Good? Bad? I'd like some feedback, so please review! Oh, and I'm not abandoning AIM with the Cullens, otherwise some very violent reviewers might come after me. -cringe-**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yes, I should be working on my other fic, but I had Writer's block, so I'm working on this one. Most of this is Stephenie's dialogue, so sorry if it's a bit boring because of that, but it was needed.**

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"Edward, wait!" Alice gasped right before I stepped into the elevator, then suddenly her gaze faltered as a vision overcame her. I turned around to see the petite vampire look up in pure, undeniable horror. "Oh no, oh no." 

_Edward… he's going to win._ My body went rigid and I stared at Alice in anger and fear. Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper came up behind us, worried expressions on all their faces. The vision played again in Alice's head, and into mine. _Bella, huddling on the ground, looking up in wild fear at James. James, with a malevolent expression on his face, grinned down at her, and then pounced. She screamed, silent in my mind, and bright red blood flowed freely from her. He laughed as the life drained from her eyes. _

If I had human food in my stomach, I would've thrown up right then and there. As it was, I felt sick, not in the physical sense, but the emotional one. "I know where she is. Just trust me, okay?" Alice pleaded with me, a sense of urgency in her voice. I glared at her. As if I could trust her _ever_ again. _Please, Edward. I swear, I know where she is. _

She stepped into the elevator, the rest of the family following suit. I jammed at the buttons, accidentally punching through the "close door" button. Carlisle gave me a sympathetic glance as the elevator slowly made its way to the ground floor. Clenching my fists, opening them, clenching, opening, helped me concentrate on something besides the fact that I was about to lose my angel.

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"Get out." Alice's confident and firm voice ordered us out in front of an innocuous-looking ballet studio. I gave her a doubtful glance, but then I smelled it. Blood. Or rather, Bella's blood.

_Hold your breath. _I nodded at Carlisle, cutting off my air supply immediately.

A scream escaped through the thick walls, and I ran out, breaking through the glass door of the studio. Emmett and Jasper followed, Jasper's face strained. I looked around the ballet studio, trying to find the right room. Another scream. Emmett, with a gleam in his eye, raced to a room, and tackled the vampire. Jasper grabbed another side of James, and they pulled him outside to finish him off. I had other business.

A cold, limp form of Bella lay on the floor, a pool of blood running around her. _Bella! Come on, you can do it, you can do it!_

"Oh no, Bella, no!" I pleaded with her. "Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please, please, Bella, please!

Oh, God, please let her be okay. I couldn't see her beautiful eyes, and I willed her to open them. I kneeled over her, not bothering to hold my breath any longer, and gently touched her hair. The door opened again.

"Carlisle!" I could feel it; I was losing Bella. I _couldn't_ lose her. She wasn't going to make it- I could tell. I started to sob, dry sobs, and kept pleading with her. "Bella, Bella, no, oh please, no, no!"

Bella cried out, in pain? "Bella!" I exclaimed, mostly in relief. Carlisle appeared by my side and began examining her, pulling equipment out of his infamous black bag. **(For all of my AIM with the Cullens readers. XD)**

"She's lost some blood, but the head wound isn't deep. Watch out for her leg, it's broken." Carlisle's methodical voice didn't soothe me the least bit. James was going to _die_ for putting my Bella through this. "Some ribs, too, I think."

"Edwa-" Bella's voice was barely a whisper, and I leaned down.

"Bella, you're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Bella? I love you."

"Edward," she whispered, a little louder.

I looked at her, confused. "Yes, I'm here."

"It hurts." I winced for her. Looking at her injuries, it was a miracle that she survived. I hoped, for James's sake, that Emmett and Jasper had killed him, for he had no idea what _I_ would put him through if he survived.

"My bag, please…" Carlisle reached for his bag as he began sewing up the gash on Bella's head. Alice handed it to him silently. "Hold your breath, Alice, it will help."

"Alice?" Bella murmured softly.

"She's here, she knew where to find you." I smiled gratefully at Alice, letting her know that I partially forgave her.

"My hand hurts." Bella was still whimpering, and my nonexistent heart throbbed in pain.

I looked over at Carlisle, a pleading look on my face. _Her hand? Okay, I'll look over it. Just let me finish here…_"I know, Bella. Carlisle will give you something, it will stop.

Suddenly, her eyes opened, and I looked in those beautiful brown orbs; they were terrified, and full of pain. "My hand is burning!" She screamed this out, ten times the voice she had been using earlier. _Carlisle!_ I yelled in my mind.

"Bella?" The wound on her hand was very small, why was it burning…?

"The fire! Someone stop the fire!" Bella's frantic voice pushed me over my limit.

"Carlisle!" I yelled, tugging on his arm. "Her hand!"

_Oh, Lord. This is not good. Edward… _"He bit her." WHAT? NO! I would NOT damn her to this existence, all because of my carelessness. This was all my fault. If I hadn't been so greedy, hadn't wanted to play baseball so bad, this never would've happened. I _couldn't_ let this happen to Bella. Ever. And now, my worst nightmare was happening.

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**A/N: Meh. Not really well written, but tell me what you think? Reviews are good. When I get more reviews, I want to write. When I want to write I write both of my fics. (I've got ideas for my AIM fic, so don't hurt me! Should be up by Sunday, the latest.) Please review! And I probably will write more on this...**


	3. Chapter 3

"_He bit her." WHAT? NO! I would NOT damn her to this existence, all because of my carelessness. This was all my fault. If I hadn't been so greedy, hadn't wanted to play baseball so bad, this never would've happened. I __couldn't__ let this happen to Bella. Ever. And now, my worst nightmare was happening._

xXx

I gasped, sinking to my knees, watching my angel writhe in what I knew was relentless pain and agony. _Why Bella,_ I moaned over and over again as she screamed. I gently laid my fingers over her eyes.

_EDWARD!!! You have to bite her again, help the transition. I know, I don't remember my own transformation, but from what I've heard, it's pretty painful. There's no other choice. _

"Edward, you have to do it."Alice's voice, though her thoughts were anxious was thoroughly commanding. She stared at me pleadingly. _Please Edward, put Bella out of her misery faster._

"No!" I roared, shaking the ground of the studio. _Please, no, _I begged with myself, _this can't be happening._

"Alice," Bella mumbled softly, barely a whisper. _Edward, please! You HAVE to! Is it so hard a choice, to choose to be with the one you love forever? _

I growled in frustration. She didn't _understand_. If it was so simple a choice as taking or leaving her, I would bite her in an instant.

But it wasn't so simple; I couldn't bear to lose the humanity that made Bella, well, Bella. The little things, tripping, blushing, talking in her sleep. But most of all, I couldn't be the monster to take her soul away. My innocent, pure angel couldn't turn into a bloodthirsty demon. I wouldn't let that happen.

"There may be a chance..." Carlisle trailed off hesitantly. I looked up at Carlisle's face. _A very slim one, but hopefully, it hasn't been long… It's worth a shot… I think he's strong enough…_

"What?" I urged.

"See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is fairly clean," Carlisle said, sewing her scalp again, his methodical white hands moving up and down. _Like I said a slim chance. But, Edward, you can do it. I know you can._

Alice's brow was furrowed, looking at the wound skeptically. _Really? I've never heard of that before. _Some blood oozed out of it and immediately, Alice and I held our breaths. I could still smell the sweet scent of Bella's blood, in my memory bank forever. If only I could just taste it-

_Edward! Pay attention!_ "Will that work?" Alice was still holding her breath, and she looked at Carlisle, then back at me.

"I don't know. But we have to hurry." He sewed quickly, his fingers flying, and then paused to glance at me. His golden eyes burned with hope, with compassion, everything that had caused me to choose this life. _A choice,_ he had always said.

I looked back down at Bella, leaned down tentatively, and then pulled back up again. "Carlisle, I… I don't know if I can do that." I knew what would happen the second I taste that blood. The monster inside would overtake me, and I would never repay myself enough to forget this horrible crime.

_A choice, Edward. There's always a choice. _"It's your decision, Edward," Carlisle said. _A decision in which, for your sake and Bella's sake, I hope you'll choose well. _"I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand.

"Edward!"

"Alice, get me something to brace her leg! Edward, you must do it now, or it will be too late." A decision. No, I couldn't let Bella be a soulless monster. There was only one choice. I _was_ stronger than that, I was.

I pressed my mouth to her wound, and began taking tainted blood from her. At first, the pain was immense. I heard her scream, but continued, tasting the sweet, delicious blood that I hadn't tasted in so many years. Had it really been that good? So rich, so fulfilling…

Bella's screams brought me back to reality. The blood flowed freely into my mouth, and I tasted a chemical. Blech; morphine. Slowly, impossible, I pulled away. _A choice._

I looked at Carlisle- his seemingly tired eyes were filled with relief. _Proud of you, Edward. _"Edward?" I looked down at Bella- her eyes were closed, and she was drifting slowly into unconsciousness.

"He's right here, Bella."

"Stay, Edward, stay with me…" Her voice, so warm, so rich in itself, made me realize; I _had_ made the right choice. The choice to be with Bella.

"I will."

Bella sighed, and dozed off to sleep. Carlisle walked soundlessly to the other side of the blood-stained studio, and grabbed his bag. "Is it all out?" I nodded.

"Her blood tastes clean. I can taste the morphine." _You did it. I still think, perhaps, the choice to turn her would've been beneficial to our family, but you made a good choice, Edward. _

My nose wrinkled. The gasoline scent from the parking lot was overpowering my sensitive senses. _Going down, filthy leech! Take that! And that! _I smiled. Emmett and Jasper were obviously having fun playing with James.

"Bella?"

"Mmmmm?" Her answering reply was so soft; he had to lean in to hear her.

"Is the fire gone?"

"Yes. Thank you, Edward." I smiled at her, my angel.

For Bella, I'd suck out that filthy vampire's venom anytime I had to. "I love you," I told her.

"I know." I chuckled at her weak response.

"Bella?"

"What?"

"Where is your mother?" Apparently, I'd never gotten around to telling Carlisle.

"In Florida," she muttered. "He tricked me, Edward. He watched our videos. Alice. Alice, the video- he knew you, Alice, he knew where you came from." _James knew? How could he have known?_ I subtly shrugged to Alice's thought. "I smell gasoline."

"It's time to move her." _Do you want to carry her, Edward? _

I nodded. "No, I want to sleep," Bella mumbled, her head lolling from side to side on the ground.

"You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you," I muttered gently in her ear, scooping her up from the ground, trying my best not to breathe in. "Sleep now, Bella."

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**A/N: Wow, dialogue scenes straight from the book are really hard. I decided I'll do Edward's point of view until the epilogue- I won't do the prom scene. So, what did you think about this chapter? I can only know if you review! As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Just to clarify: during Alice's phone call, all the quotes are _Alice_ speaking. **

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"Come on, Edward," Carlisle beckoned to me, and I slowly followed him. _You need to take her to a hospital._

"In a stolen car?" I asked him, a wry smile on my face. _Can you run her? I've got to help take care of James. _I looked outside at the blindingly white sun, and looked at him skeptically. "Okay, then…"

I breathed in a sigh of satisfaction, and then immediately regretted it. Bella's scent still hit me like a monster truck- I was never going to get used to it. She was unconscious, in my arms, her chest rising and falling ever so slightly. I smiled down at her, and looked up and down the street for humans. _You can make it, Edward. No one's going to catch you._ I mentally thanked Alice in my mind and set off towards the Phoenix hospital.

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I slowly walked up to the hospital, wrinkling my nose at all the chemicals. Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett, and Alice had caught up, Jasper and Emmett staying a safe distance away. Jasper had decided to stay outside the hospital, for the meantime. The second they had reached me, I was bombarded with a barrage of thoughts from Jasper and Emmett.

_Is she okay?_

_Is she ALIVE? _

_She looks pretty bad…_

_Uh oh, must move away…_

"Hold your breath," Carlisle warned us as we stepped inside.

"Hello, welcome to the Phoenix Emergency Care center. How may I help you?" The weary-looking lady at the counter pasted a fake smile on her face and handed Carlisle a bunch of forms to fill out. _If only they were all so hot…_

Carlisle motioned to me to step up to the counter. "Uh, yeah, Bella's, uh, sort of, uh, hurt," I mumbled. The receptionist looked down at Bella's mangled body, and gasped in horror.

"I'll send the doctor right away." Carlisle assured her that this wouldn't be necessary, and arranged all the details. He took Bella from me, leaving me in the waiting room with Alice.

_Are you okay, Edward? Bella's going to be fine; I saw it._

I moved my eyes up and down the counter, as if searching for something. Only someone who was really paying attention could tell that I was answering her question.

_But I still think that you should've changed her. It would've been good for all of us, you know._

I frowned slightly, and let out an exasperated sigh. "Someone should call Renee," I interjected softly, looking at Alice meaningfully.

_Fine, I'll do it. But at least think about it, okay?_

I ignored her, handing her Carlisle's cell phone. "Her number's in the phonebook," I told her, turning away.

She walked to a corner to make the call, and I could hear her clearly, through the bustling din.

"Hello? Is this Renee?"

"Um, yes, this is about Bella."

"No, she's fine. Charlie told you that? Oh, well it was a misunderstanding."

"But she's sort of… hurt." _What do I say? Edward! _

"No, like I said, she's going to be fine."

"She… ah, fell down two flights of stairs of the hotel she was staying at." Alice paused. _That's not good enough, is it?_ I thought about Bella's injuries again, winced, and shook my head slightly. "And through a window."

"No, you don't have to come down to the hospital."

"Are you sure? …Okay, then."

"I'm sure Bella will enjoy that." Alice looked at me, a panicked look on her face. _She's coming, Edward!_

"Yes, she's at the emergency care center… no, she's fine!"

"Okay, I'll see you soon, Renee. Bye!" _What do we do?_

I shrugged. I wasn't planning to be around, anyway. Carlisle emerged from the back part of the hospital and headed for me. I stood up immediately, searching his mind for any news.

_She's fine, Edward. Come on._ He led the way into the intensive care unit, and to a small room. Bella was lying on the uncomfortable-looking bed, tubes attached to her in various places, still apparently unconscious. _We had to keep her sedated. It's not safe for her to be moving around with so many injuries. _

_Edward!_ I sighed and walked into the waiting room to listen to Alice, leaning against the wall as if I was merely bored. _She's coming in 5…4…_

I quickly ran –at an almost human pace- back to Bella's room. Carlisle looked at me inquisitively; _what changed?_

"Renee's here," I stated monotonously, staring at the beeping EKG monitor next to Bella's bed. Now I wasn't the only one who could hear her heartbeat. I drummed my fingers on the railing of Bella's bed, waiting impatiently for her to wake up.

_Renee's going to your room, Edward._ I mentally thanked Alice, scooted my chair away from Bella's bed, and picked up a magazine the hospital had.

_Why doesn't this hospital have better equipment?_

_Can I please have a piece of candy?_

_Oh, please let Bella be okay… _Renee.

She entered the room and looked around with wide, frightened eyes- eyes that I'd seen on Bella so many times. Most recently, in her encounter with James. I winced.

"Bella? Oh, Bella!" _Thank the Lord she's all right. And that handsome doctor! I thought he was her boyfriend, I wonder where he-_

"Oh!" Renee gasped, noticing me for the first time. "You must be, um… Edwin."

"Edward." I smiled at her, taking care not to show my teeth. _My goodness, he's so good-looking! _"I'm Bella's… uh, boyfriend."

"Is Bella going to be back to normal?" _Please, say yes. I want her to be okay when she moves to Jacksonville. She can enjoy the scenery…_

What? Jacksonville? It must've been a thought for Phil, or someone else. Bella wasn't moving, right? "Yes ma'am, in a few weeks." _Ma'am? Wow, what manners! And for adopted teenagers! They must be adopted; the doctor didn't look a day over 25._

I bit back a laugh. If only she knew Carlisle was 300 years old… _Oh my dear Lord, no way. Bella wouldn't…_ "Edward, dear?"

"Yes?"

"You and Bella haven't happened to, umm…" She looked meaningfully at me, in a very mother-like way. _They better not have._

Oh. OH. "No ma'am!" I said, shaking my head. _Right. I wonder what's with the magazine, then. _

"Oh! A call from Phil." Renee fumbled for her cell phone, which was still ringing in her purse. "Well, it was nice chatting with you, Edward."

I smiled at her again, and waved. She left the room, still searching in her purse. Only then did I realize that I had a _Parenting_ magazine in my hand.

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**A/N: I have no idea if that actually happened. Just to make Edward's conversation with Renee a bit more uncomfortable. :) Review, please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Major writer's block has prevented me from uploading this earlier, so sorry about the wait. This chapter, had I done the entire section from Twilight, would've been really, really long. As it is, the next chapter's going to be... uberly-long.**

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Yesterday had been one of the most dreadful days of my entire existence. What with Renee, thinking Bella was pregnant; Alice, her constant worries of Jasper slipping and about the tape she'd watched that James had made; Carlisle, worrying about Esme, and whether or not she lost to Victoria; and Emmett, always wondering what football game was on next; I was as close to delusional as I'd ever been.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst was seeing Bella lie on the drab hospital sheets, plastered in numerous casts, tubes running through her body, and her heartbeat, what used to be a comforting sound, beeping so robotically through a machine. Her blood, now just a transfusion, a donation from a stranger, smelled sick, and I hated every bit of it.

Every so often, one of my family members or Renee would pop in to check on Bella, only to realize she was still unconscious. It seemed that no one noticed I was even there anymore. It wasn't like I had to leave to go to the bathroom, or eat, or anything. Of course, Renee noticed, just in her thoughts. I winced, remembering her thoughts.

_I would've thought, with Carlisle as a father, he would've known better… _

_I knew Charlie wouldn't talk to Bella about it… _

_I should probably talk to Edward and Bella together, when Bella wakes up…_

Alice had left for a while, stolen car on hand. _Fabricating evidence_ was all she'd thought before she sprinted away.

"Bella?" The door cracked open slightly, revealing an older version of Bella. I waved at Renee.

"She's still sleeping," I told her, and she looked at me. _Does he _ever_ leave? When Bella wakes up, she is getting a piece of my mind about protection. She's only 17!_

She walked cautiously to Bella's side, managing not to trip over the copious number of wires and tubes on the ground. Unfortunately, Bella had not inherited that trait from Renee.

_Oh, I hope she's all right. Carlisle said she was supposed to be up by now. Is she alive? Oh, wait, that thing's beeping; I guess that means she is. I should come back later- I need to get something to eat, Phil's supposed to call me later…_

Renee stroked Bella's hair, a tired look in her eyes. _She was so adamant about going to Forks. Maybe I should've stopped her – I mean what a wreck! And that boy! Charlie says it's his fault she left. I should have a word or two about that with him._

I winced, planning my speedy exit. It wasn't necessary, however – Renee got up from the hard chair and made her way across the room. Just before she left, though, she looked back at her daughter.

"Bye Bella," Renee said softly, oblivious to the fact that Bella couldn't hear her. She had shadows under her eyes, and her face was weary. It was obvious she cared about Bella, though sometimes she wasn't the best mother.

"Good-bye, Renee," I called as she left, but she was gone. I sighed; I had proven my thoughts correct once again- to Renee, I was just a constant object in Bella's room. Which, in a way, I was.

I hadn't hunted in a while, yet I was staying in her room. It was like putting a starving man in front of a feast and telling him he couldn't eat it. Even though Carlisle and Alice told me numerous times to leave, I couldn't bring myself to. Who knows what could happen if I took my eyes off her for a second?

The door opened again, interrupting my brooding. Oh, please don't be Renee, I thought. I couldn't stand another bombardment of thoughts from Renee about protection.

_Hello, Edward. Bella still sleeping? _I looked meaningfully at Bella, still laying there, her face serene and calm. Carlisle furrowed his brow, and checked her tubes. _She should be up soon. Don't let her sit up or anything; it might injure her further. _

"You need to hunt." It wasn't a question, it was a demand. I shook my head firmly – I wasn't letting Bella out of my sight for an instant. He sighed, worry lines clear on his face. _Sure you can handle it?_

"Yes," I told him firmly. After Wednesday, I could handle anything. _Okay, see you later, Edward._

He left, and again, I was alone with my thoughts. Maybe, just maybe, if I'd changed her… no. I looked at Bella; she was so pure, so _clean_, and so innocent, that I couldn't let her be a vampire. I couldn't bring myself to turn an angel into a demon.

Outside, I heard Alice making a phone call to Charlie. Her responses were much the same as the ones that she gave to Renee, although I was quite certain he wouldn't come down to Phoenix.

_Edward… _I fake-coughed slightly, knowing Alice would hear me.

_Here's the story – we drove to Phoenix, and tried to convince Bella to talk to us. She agreed, and drove to "our" hotel. Of course, being Bella, she tripped on the stairs, and fell out the window. The evidence has all been taken care of. Let's just say the downtown Phoenix Marriott feels lucky that we're not suing for "slippery staircases". _

Alice showed me the scene, in her mind: _Convincing blood-red paint was scattered around the broken window. Shards of glass lay threateningly in the street, sunlight glinting off it not unlike it bouncing off our skin. Yellow police "danger" tape was pulled around the scene, and police cars were in the distance._ _Alice was standing in the background, arguing with a bewildered hotel manager. _

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Alice to find "fabricating evidence" to be something fun. I shook my head – those poor, poor hotel managers.

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**A/N: Yes, it's an abrupt ending, but I had to cut it short otherwise there wouldn't have been a good stopping point for... twenty pages. I have a lot of the next chapter typed up, so that'll be up soon. Oh, and I _know_ I have to update my AIM fic, so I promise that it'll be up soon as well. So, umm... review! Reviews make me happy!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This chapter's up a lot faster than I thought it'd be. So, umm, nothing else to say but enjoy! Oh, sorry for the abrupt start. :)**

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I rested my head on Bella's pillow, looking at her angelic face. Her eyes flickered open, and her hand sleepily searched for something. "No, you don't." I took her hand, pulling it away from the tape covering the tubes.

"Edward?" I sighed. I hadn't heard her voice in over a day- it was driving me crazy. "Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!"

"Shhhh. Everything's all right now." And it was. Bella was here, alive, with me. As much as it was wrong, it felt so right.

"What happened?"

"I was almost too late. I could have been too late," I murmured softly. The visions from the ballet studio still ran before my eyes, my own living hell.

"I was so stupid, Edward. I thought he had my mom." She looked at me pleadingly, her brown eyes full of regret.

"He tricked us all," I soothed her. None of this was her fault. It was completely mine- to let her stay with me this long. If only I'd been strong enough to resist her scent. If only I'd had a biology partner, or if Mr. Banner had one less student in a class...

"I need to call Charlie and my mom," Bella said suddenly, looking around. I grinned. Alice had that job.

"Alice called them. Renee is here-" I grimaced slightly. "-well, here in the hospital. She's getting something to eat right now."

"She's here?" Bella tried to push herself up, and I tugged her back down, respecting Carlisle's words of advice.

"She'll be back soon." Bella's heart rate sped up as I told her this, a slight look of panic coming over her face. "And you need to stay still." Three medical degrees -and a 300-year old father- had told me as much.

"But what did you tell her?" Bella looked at me anxiously. _I _didn't tell Renee anything- that was Alice. "Why did you tell her I'm here?"

"You fell down two flights of stairs and though a window. You have to admit, it could happen." _Only to you_, I finished in my mind, smiling slightly.

Bella lifted the sheet and frowned at her leg. "How bad am I?"

I winced. "You have a broken leg, four broken ribs, some cracks in your skull, bruises covering every inch of your skin, and you've lost a lot of blood. They gave you a few transfusions. I didn't like it – it made you smell all wrong for a while." I wrinkled my nose at the thought. Though most of the foul smell had gone away, there was still a faint, lingering odor of stale blood inside her delicious, tempting… I mentally cursed myself. I shouldn't think of her like that, ever.

"That must have been a nice change for you."

"No, I like how _you_ smell." However wrong that statement was, it was a hundred percent true. It was part of what made Bella herself, part of why she was so irresistible, in the physical sense.

"How did you do it?" I looked at her face, my eyes boring into hers. She had an inquisitive look in her eyes, wondering. How _did_ I do it? I searched through my mind, bringing up the past, when I had to make that decision in the dance studio. The sweet, tantalizing blood. Venom filled my mouth even _thinking_ about it. Reflecting back on that made me think it was impossible- yet, I stopped.

"I'm not sure." I looked away from her eyes, and gently picked up her hand, reveling in the warmth. "It was impossible… to stop. Impossible. But I did. I _must_ love you."

I looked back at her, a smile on my face. It was true. Never, in the 87 years that I had been a vampire, had I had feeling so strong. Amazing, what this human girl could do to me.

"Don't I taste as good as I smell?" Bella asked me, breaking me out of my thoughts. As if there was even a competition.

"Even better – better than I'd imagined." Nothing, no animal blood, no human blood, could ever live up to the taste of her blood.

"I'm sorry." She looked at me, her eyes burning with regret. I looked away. Why was she sorry for _this_?

"Of all the things to apologize for." I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Bella to say sorry for having tempting blood; as if she could control that.

"What _should_ I apologize for?" For running off like that to James, I thought.

"For very nearly taking yourself away from me forever."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, looking down at the hospital bed.

"I know why you did it." For Renee, of course. If it was me, I would've done it too. "It was still irrational, of course. You should have waited for me, you should have told me."

"You wouldn't have let me go." Of course not.

"No," I said firmly. "I wouldn't."

Bella shook violently on her bed cringing at an unpleasant memory. "Bella, what's wrong?" I asked urgently.

"What happened to James?" Bella's voice was still shaky.

"After I pulled him off you, Emmett and Jasper took care of him." I grimaced. James should be glad that Emmett and Jasper did the deed, for if I had done it…

"I didn't see Emmett and Jasper there." I shook my head. If Jasper had been there, it… wouldn't have been good.

"They had to leave the room… there was a lot of blood." I frowned, remembering how much blood there was.

"But you stayed."

"Yes, I stayed." I had to stay; I couldn't leave. It was the furthest thing from my mind then. Looking back, I realized how much stronger I'd made myself by staying.

"And Alice, and Carlisle…" Bella trailed off. Carlisle, I knew he could handle it. But Alice…

"They love you, too, you know." I beamed at her.

Suddenly, she shut her eyes, and gasped. "Did Alice see the tape?"

My mind flashed back to the scene when Alice watched the tape, every dark thought filling her – and me.

"_Alice, Alice, the video – he knew you, Alice, he knew where you came from," Bella mumbled. _

"_It's time to move her…" Carlisle trailed off._

"_No, I want to sleep," Bella murmured, a bit louder. Alice gasped, and ran off, into the distance. _

"_You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you." My focus was solely on Bella then, but I could still hear Alice, in the distance._

No… no… no! How _could_ he?

"_Sleep now, Bella," I said gently, looking anxiously at Alice, who was still staring fiercely at the small, dark screen of the video camera._

"Yes." I shook my head slightly, so slightly I doubted Bella caught it. Alice's thoughts were still wavering back and forth. I could hear the din in the lobby, and tried to pick apart the thoughts.

_No! MOMMY! _

_Oww… wonder when the doctor's going to be out…_

_Why don't lollipops taste better? _

_Must stop Jasper… must stop Jasper… why did James do that? He basically took my entire history away! At least… now I know how I was changed, why I didn't know…_

"She was always in the dark, that's why she didn't remember." Bella's voice tore me out of my reverie.

"I know. She understands now." My voice was harsher than I'd meant it to be, and I turned away to hide my angry eyes.

She reached for my face, and then stopped, looking at something on her arm. "Ugh." Bella made a face, picking at something on her arm.

I was immediately by her side, unaware of the fury that lingered in my pitch-black eyes. "What is it?"

"Needles," she mumbled, still pulling at her IV.

"Afraid of a needle. Oh, a sadistic vampire, intent on torturing her to death, sure, no problem, she runs off to meet him. An _IV_, on the other hand…" I rolled my eyes, and Bella did the same. Surely, certainly, there had to be something wrong. She hung out with vampires too much…

"Why are _you_ here?" Bella looked at me, her eyes telling me that she was intent on changing the subject.

I frowned slightly. Did she not want me here? Was I bothering her too much? "Do you want me to leave?"

"No!" I smiled slightly at her outright protest. "No, I meant," she continued, calmer. "Why does my mother think you're here? I need to have my story straight before she gets back."

"Oh." I hadn't heard the entire conversation with Alice and Renee, so this would be a little harder than I thought. "I came to Phoenix to talk some sense into you, to convince you to come back to Forks. You agreed to see me, and you drove out to the hotel where I was staying with Carlisle and Alice – of course I was here with parental supervision, but you tripped on the stairs on the way to my room and… well, you know the rest. You don't need to remember any of the details, though;" I smiled. "You have a good excuse to be a little muddled about the finer points.

Bella considered it for a second. "There are a few flaws with that story. Like no broken windows," she pointed out.

_Ha! Tell Bella I broke more than enough windows. _I growled softly, wishing Alice could read minds so that I could tell her to stop eavesdropping.

"Not really," I said, smirking slightly. "Alice had a little bit too much fabricating evidence. It's all been taken care of very convincingly – you could probably sue the hotel if you wanted to." Which was true –the mental image that Alice had sent me told all "You have nothing to worry about. Your only job now is to heal." I reached down, and as light as a moth's wing, I brushed my hand against her cheek, reveling in the warmth.

The EKG machine suddenly beeped out of the steady rhythm, and I smiled. I still couldn't believe, after so many months, that Bella responded to me this way.

She blushed, a beautiful rosy pink, and looked away. "That's going to be embarrassing."

I laughed quietly, and watched until the machine beeped normally again. If she responded to my mere touch what would happen if…? "Hmm, I wonder…"

I leaned in slowly, still taking care to control my inner monster. Even though the ballet studio incident had made me so much stronger, I didn't trust myself. I pressed my cold, hard lips against her warm, soft ones, enjoying it. Ahhh, kissing… _Beep…beep… … …_

I pulled away anxiously, checking to see if she was still alive. The beeping began again, and I sighed slowly in relief. "It seems that I'm going to have to be even more careful with you than usual." I shook my head slightly; as if that was possible.

Bella frowned petulantly. "I was not finished kissing you," she grumbled. "Don't make me come over there."

I smiled, and kissed her again. Again, the monitor went silent, and I pulled away immediately. Footsteps were approaching, coming closer to Bella's room. _Maybe she's awake by now…_

"I think I hear your mother," I said, bracing myself for a nice, long chat with Renee.

Bella looked at me nervously, panic in her eyes. "Don't leave me," she pleaded.

"I won't." As if I ever would. But I had to somehow escape Renee… my eyes slid over the uncomfortable-looking recliner by Bella's bed, and I grinned. "I'll take a nap," I decided.

Bella watched as I lay down on the chair, positioning myself to take a "nap". "Don't forget to breathe," she whispered. I rolled my eyes, but decided to humor her, taking a deep breath.

Renee was still outside, talking to Bella's resident nurse. "No, that's my daughter in there! You have to let me see her!" Renee's voice, though weary, was demanding.

"I'm very sorry, ma'am, but visiting hours are over." The nurse, who sounded just as tired, began walking away.

"Just a few minutes," Renee pleaded with the nurse.

_My goodness, if I just let her go, then maybe she'd leave me alone!_ "You know what? Fine, but make sure your daughter – Isabella, isn't it? – gets enough rest." She walked away; her high heels clearly heard clicking down the hall.

I lay still, tense on the recliner as Renee approached. The door opened slightly. Here comes the dragon lady, I thought.

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**A/N: Okay, so I lied. I told someone that the next chapter would be the last, but it's not. Unless it was to be 10 pages on Word, or something. But, um, review! My goal for this fic is to get to 50 reviews. XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hopefully, you'll be able to decipher Renee's thoughts. :)**

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"Mom!" Bella exclaimed softly.

_Oh the poor boy… he's always sleeping when I come, he probably needs the rest. Does he ever leave to eat? _I heard her tiptoe towards Bella's bed, taking care not to "wake" me. "He never leaves, does he?"

"Mom, I'm so glad to see you!" I cracked an eye open and watched them embrace, salty-smelling tears falling down Bella's face.

_Oh, thank the Lord she's all right. I don't know what I'd do without her._ "Bella, I was so upset!" Renee looked at her daughter, a mixture of pain and relief on her face. I shut my eyes, hiding from the pain.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Bella soothed her. "But everything's fine now, it's okay."

_I really hope so… at least she's awake now, the last few times she's always been sleeping. _"I'm just glad to finally see your eyes open." There was a slight creak as Renee perched on the edge of Bella's bed, or Bella had moved in her bed…

"How long have they been closed?"

"It's Friday, hon, you've been out for a while."_ Too long… she had me worrying…_

Bella's voice was… confused as she responded, "Friday?"

"They had to keep you sedated for a while, honey – you've got a lot of injuries." _Her mind flashed the image of Bella lying on the bed, covered in mounds of gauze and plaster. _I winced. Carlisle had taken some of it off, but the majority was still there.

"I know." Bella tried hard to hide the pain she was feeling, but I could hear it, and I cringed at my own selfishness. Whatever pain I was feeling, it was a thousand times worse for her.

"You're lucky Dr. Cullen was there," Renee remarked. "He's such a nice man… very young, though."

_He looks so much like Brad Pitt! I bet he's nicer than Brad though._ I cracked a slight grin. It wasn't the first time I'd heard _those_ thoughts. "And he looks more like a model than a doctor…"

"You met Carlisle?"

"And Edward's sister Alice. She's a lovely girl." _With such great manners! But she does look awfully young to be married._

"She is," Bella murmured.

"You didn't tell me you had such good friends in Forks." _I wonder _how_ good friends they are… he is awfully cute, but still. _

Cute? If Emmett found out Renee thought I was _cute_, I'd never hear the end of it. Bella moaned, and my eyes immediately went to her face. "What hurts?" Renee asked, looking at Bella anxiously.

"It's fine. I just have to remember not to move." She took a fleeting glance at me, and I went back to "sleeping".

"Where's Phil?" Bella asked.

_Perfect time to break it to her! I know she's going to love it there! She has to! It's the complete opposite of Forks, anyway, and I know she must dread it there. I'm sorry that she ever moved, she never should have… and it has such great opportunities for Phil, and his new job, and Bella, too. _

"Florida – oh Bella! You'll never guess! Just when we were about to leave, the best news!" Renee's voice was radiating with excitement. I tensed slightly.

"Phil got signed?"

"Yes! How did you guess! The Suns, can you believe it?" Renee asked enthusiastically.

"That's great, Mom," Bella answered in a weak voice.

"And you'll like Jacksonville! It's always sunny, and the humidity really isn't _that_ bad. we found the cutest house, yellow, with white trim, and a porch just like in an old movie, and this huge oak tree, and it's just a few minutes from the ocean, and you'll have your own bathroom – "

If I had to breathe, I would've been hyperventilating then. Bella… in Jacksonville? As in, not in Forks? I knew I couldn't be selfish, though. Stilted conversations with Charlie and waking up every day to a gloomy overcast weren't what Bella enjoyed. I knew, deep inside, that Bella longed for the sun, for the light. And to be with Renee, too, her best friend, she'd told me once. She deserved that, I didn't deserve her.

"Wait, Mom! What are you talking about? I'm not going to Florida. I live in Forks," Bella exclaimed, confused.

"But you don't have to anymore, silly." Renee chuckled. _I hope this redeems me for having her live in Forks… _"Phil will be able to be around so much more now… we've talked about it a lot, and what I'm going to do is trade off on the away games, half the time with you, half the time with him." _I'm glad Phil was so cooperative. I've had no time with Bella this last year; this is perfect for both of us!_

"Mom…" Bella trailed off. "I _want_ to live in Forks. I'm already settled in at school, and I have a couple of girlfriends, and Charlie needs me. He's just all alone up there, and he can't cook_ at all_.

An image flew through Renee's mind, so fleetingly I almost missed it. _A young man with curly brown hair, maybe a year older than me, stood in front of a small stove which I recognized at Charlie's stove, looked helplessly in front of a smoking pan._ I winced, and then made a mental not to not let Bella eat anything Charlie cooked.

_She said girlfriends, what about "boy" friends? _I winced again. I was hoping she would put this off for a while. _And she's so miserable here! What happened to the little girl who would stamp her foot and yell at me until I let her stay in Phoenix? _

"You want to stay in Forks?" Renee asked incredulously. _Would it be because of…?_ "Why?"

"I told you – school, Charlie – ouch!" My eyes flickered open for a split second, and I saw Renee patting Bella's forehead.

"Bella, honey, you hate Forks." More pictures this time: _Bella, probably eight years old, yelling at her mom at the airport; Bella, a teenager, walking away from the terminal as Renee called after her…_and it went on. Pictures of Bella, showing her reluctance of Forks.

"It's not so bad," Bella said truthfully.

_I knew it! It was Edward! She's going to fall into the same trap, I swear. I can't let that happen! But I do want Bella to be happy…she's been nothing but supportive of me and Phil, I should extend the same courtesy to her. _

"Is it this boy?"

"He's part of it," Bella said reluctantly. "So, have you had a chance to talk with Edward?" I could hear the apprehensive note in her voice.

"Yes. And I want to talk to you about that." _Very nice young man, but so young to be in love! _Renee had hit it on the dot.

"What about?"

"I think that boy is in love with you," she told Bella.

"I think so, too," Bella confessed. _I wonder how much time they've spent together! If he has a decent career ahead of him, how his mother is with children…_

"And how do you feel about him?" Renee asked curiously. Bella sighed.

"I'm pretty crazy about him." Pretty crazy… that was a good thing, right? I'd had no experience in the romance department, and it was showing.

"Well, he _seems_ very nice, and my goodness, he's incredibly good-looking, but you're so young, Bella…" _And certainly much too young to get pregnant! _

"I know that, Mom. Don't worry about it. It's just a crush," Bella reminded her. Just a crush? I'd dissect that thought with Alice later.

"That's right," Renee said, relieved.

"Do you need to go?"

"Phil's supposed to call in a little while… I didn't know you were going to wake up…" Renee hesitated.

"No problem, Mom," Bella told her. I could hear the relief that she tried to hide in her voice. "I won't be alone."

"I'll be back soon," Renee said. "I've been sleeping here, you know."

"Oh, Mom, you don't have to do that! You can sleep at home – I'll never notice."

_Should I tell her? Or would that make her feel even more nervous? _"I was too nervous. There's been some crime in the neighborhood, and I don't like being there alone."

"Crime?" Bella asked.

"Someone broke into that dance studio around the corner from the house and burned it to the ground – there's nothing left at all! And they left a stolen car right out front. Do you remember when you used to dance there, honey?" Oops. That would be the car Alice stole. I guess we forgot to take it.

"I remember."

_What's wrong? I shouldn't have told her, I knew it. _"I can stay, baby if you need me."

"No, Mom, I'll be fine. Edward will be with me."

_Maybe I should stay, and have a nice little talk with both of them once he wakes up. But the poor boy! He's only 17, he needs his rest. _"I'll be back tonight."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Bella. Try to be more careful when you walk, honey, I don't want to lose you." I grinned. The irony of it all… the one time that it wasn't Bella's clumsiness…

A nurse came into the room as Renee left. "Are you feeling anxious, honey? Your heart rate got a little high there."

"I'm fine," Bella said.

"I'll tell your RN that you're awake. She'll be in to see you in a minute." The nurse began walking towards the door; I could hear her heels clicking towards the door. Time to talk…

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**A/N: Meh. I hate that ending. There's one more chapter after this, the "talk" between Bella and Edward. Aren't we all looking forward to that? So, umm... review. :) :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey! This is the last chapter of Breaking, and it's about twice as long, almost 8 pages on Word. I appreciate everyone who reviewed throughout the story, so enjoy!**

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_Click._ The door shut softly, and I raced to Bella's side. "You stole a car?" she asked with a wry smile.

I returned a grin, remembering how much Alice loved that car. "It was a good car, very fast."

"How was your nap?"

I remembered. Or rather, Bella reminded me. _Florida._ "Interesting." That summed it up, I thought.

"What?" Bella asked, confused.

I sighed, and looked away as I answered. "I'm surprised. I thought Florida… and your mother… well, I thought that's what you would want." _That's what would be best for you._

Bella's eyebrows drew together as she looked at me, bewildered, as if the words were foreign to her. "But you'd be stuck inside all day in Florida. You'd only be able to come out at night, like a real vampire."

"I would stay in Forks, Bella. Or somewhere like it… someplace where I couldn't hurt you anymore."

I looked away for a moment, comprehending my own words. It would be as if… she'd never moved to Forks, or as if there had been another empty seat in Mr. Banner's sixth period Biology class. I turned my head to look at Bella again. Her beautiful, pure body, now covered in all sorts of gauze, only heightened the difference between us. The Fragile and the Indestructible. The Angel and the Demon. The Pure and the Immoral.

"Time for more pain meds, sweetheart?" I looked behind me to see a nurse approach Bella's IV, and I backed away. _Poor dear. I heard she fell 10 stories out of a hotel! I hope she'll be all right. _

"No, no," Bella murmured. "I don't need anything." The nurse clearly saw through Bella's lie, and started taking something out.

"No need to be brave, honey. It's better if you don't get too stressed out; you need to rest." The nurse paused, waiting for Bella's consent, but Bella refused. _Stubborn as well. _

She sighed, then gave in. "Okay. Hit the call button when you're ready." _And hopefully the rest will ease your mind off other issues._ She glared at me. _I hope she gets better…_ The nurse walked out of the room, closing the door.

I frowned. I didn't have to listen intently to tell that her heart was beating too fast for a normal human. Not that Bella was a normal human, but her heart was still beating at a dangerous rate.

I laid my hands on her face, enjoying the warmth. _Enjoying the bouquet, but resisting the wine._ Bella stared back at me anxiously. "Shhh, Bella, calm down," I begged.

"Don't leave me," Bella pleaded.

"I won't. Now relax before I call the nurse back to sedate you." I watched the EKG machine spike up and down frantically, and I looked back at Bella, worried. "Bella, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here as long as you need me."

"Do you swear you won't leave me?" she asked, a tremor running through her voice.

I leaned down, reigning in the monster inside of me. _Mind over matter._ "I swear," I promised.

Breathe, I told myself. I didn't have to, but it helped, in some ironic way. The more I spent in her presence, the easier it was to be with her. In. Out. In. Out. Bella's wide, brown eyes followed my every movement, and she slowly calmed down, her heart rate more even and relaxed. "Better?"

"Yes," she answered.

"I'm going to have to careful around you, if you're going to overreact all the time and scare me like that," I mumbled under my breath, just soft enough to where her human eardrums couldn't pick it up.

"Why did you say that?" Bella asked anxiously. "Are you tired of having to save me all the time? Do you _want_ me to go away?"

"No, I don't want to be without you, Bella, or course not. Be rational," I soothed her. "And I have no problem with saving you, either – if it weren't for the fact that I was the one putting you in danger… that I'm the reason that you're here."

It all kept tracing back to the time I met her. If only I'd followed my instincts… no. Carlisle and Esme would've been disappointed. Was this really as bad as the alternative?

"Yes, you are the reason… the reason I'm here – _alive._" A bystander glancing at her might've thought otherwise.

"Barely. Covered in gauze and plaster and hardly able to move." Again, I was responsible for that.

"I wasn't referring to my most recent near-death experience," Bella said, raising her voice slightly. "I was thinking of the others – you can take your pick. If it weren't for you, I would be rotting away in the Forks cemetery."

_All my fault, all my fault._ I winced. "That's not the worst part, though. Not seeing you there on the floor… crumpled and broken. Not thinking I was too late. Not even hearing you scream in pain – all those unbearable memories that I'll carry with me for the rest of eternity. No, the very worst was feeling… knowing that I couldn't stop. Believing that I was going to kill you myself." _All my fault, all my fault._ The thought wouldn't stop running through my head, wouldn't stop driving me insane.

"But you didn't."

Finally, the chanting stopped, but it was replaced with something worse. The memory of her blood. She had _no_ idea how much effort it had taken me to wrench myself away from something I'd been longing to have since the day she stepped foot into Forks High. _I_ had no idea how I had. "I could have. So easily."

I never would've forgiven myself if I'd taken her life. What haunted me, though, wasn't the past. It was the future. In this one short year, Bella had had four near-death experiences. It couldn't go on. I'd continually put her in danger, and I had no right to.

"Promise me," Bella whispered, breaking me out of my muddle of thoughts.

"What?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"You know what," she said, glaring at me.

"I don't seem to be strong enough to stay away from you, so I suppose that you'll get your way… whether it kills you or not."

"Good," Bella said, content for now. She talked casually, but I could hear the panic belied by the light word.

She paused, then added, "You told me how you stopped… now I want to know why."

"Why?" I asked, somewhat bewildered. Did she _want_ me to kill her?

"_Why_ you did it. Why didn't you just let the venom spread? By now I would be just like you."

_How_ had she found out? I had clearly made it a point that Bella was not to find out the mechanics of turning into a vampire. My eyes narrowed… _Alice_. I knew there had to be an underlying reason to her sudden obsession with the song "Twinkle Twinkle".

"I'll be the first to admit that I have no experience with relationships," Bella said hesitantly. "But it just seems logical… a man and woman have to be somewhat equal… as in, one of them can't always be swooping in and saving the other one. They have to save each other _equally_."

I lay my head down on my arms, and tried to hold the anger back. I would have a chance to _talk_ with Alice later. "You _have_ saved me," I contradicted, remembering Esme's conversation with me. She'd told me that Bella saved me from myself.

"I can't always be Lois Lane," she continued, as if she hadn't heard me. "I want to be Superman, too."

She wanted this. Bella wanted to be a vampire. I mentally groaned… she had no idea what she was saying. Everything in her that was good and pure would be taken away if she became a vampire. I couldn't let that happen. "You don't know what you're asking."

"I think I do." My anger towards Alice increased. Exactly _how_ much had Alice told her?

"Bella, you _don't_ know. I've had almost ninety years to think about this, and I'm still not sure."

"Do you wish that Carlisle hadn't saved you?"

"No, I don't wish that." I valued the last ninety years… everything Carlisle had taught me. "But my life was over. I wasn't giving anything up."

"You _are _my life. You're the only thing it would hurt me to lose." This was going to be harder than I thought.

"I can't do it, Bella," I said firmly, trying to change her mind. "I won't do that to you."

"Why not? Don't tell me it's too hard! After today, or I guess it was a few days ago… anyway, after _that_, it should be nothing."

I frowned at her. Even _if_ I had the necessary control, I wouldn't trust myself. Back in the ballet studio, I lied to myself. I told myself I was stronger than that, strong enough to pull away when need be. It was almost laughable, how mistaken I was. Ignorance was gone – I knew I couldn't trust myself again.

It wasn't just that, though. Watching her writhe on the floor, just for five minutes, was pure agony for me. It must've been a thousand times worse for her. She couldn't possible stand that sort of pain for three days. "And the pain?"

"That's my problem," Bella said, even though her face said otherwise. "I can handle it."

"It's possible to take bravery to the point where it becomes insanity."

"It's not an issue. Three days. Big deal." So she knew how long it took. I had half a mind to give Alice a phone call then and there.

Alice… Rosalie… Rosalie. She'd had a hard time adjusting. I just had to remember why. Her human family. "Charlie? Renee?"

Bella froze, and tried to speak, to no avail. I knew it, I wanted to say childishly. Finally, she spoke. "Look, that's not an issue either. Renee has always made the choices that work for her – she'd want me to do the same. And Charlie's resilient, he's used to being on his own. I can't take care of them forever. I have my own life to live."

"Exactly," I said furiously. "And I won't end if for you."

"If you're waiting for me to be on my deathbed, I've got news for you! I was just there!"

I furrowed my brow, trying to understand. She was going to get better. "You're going to recover," I told her confidently. She sighed, and looked me right in the eyes. She wasn't going to back down, not today.

When we finally spoke, it was Bella who broke the silence. "No, I'm not."

I looked at her, confused. Of course she was going to recover. Carlisle would see to that. "Of course you are. You may have a scar or two…"

"You're wrong," Bella said firmly. "I'm going to die."

"Really, Bella," I said, looking at her worriedly. "You'll be out of here in a few days. Two weeks at the most."

"I may not die now… but I'm going to die sometime. Every minute of the day, I get closer. And I'm going to get _old_."

I knew that, of course. It just… hadn't sunk in all the way. That someday, hopefully in the very far future, I would lose Bella. I pressed the tips of my fingers to my forehead, hoping it would clear my headache- the first headache I'd gotten in eighty years. There was no other choice; Bella had to stay human.

"That's how it's supposed to happen. How it should happen. How it would have happened if I didn't exist – and _I shouldn't exist_."

Bella snorted, and I raised my head to look at her. "That's stupid. That's like going to someone who's just won the lottery, taking their money, and saying, 'Look, let's just go back to how things should be. It's better that way.' And I'm not buying it."

Did she just compare me to the lottery? "I'm hardly a lottery prize."

"That's right," she argued. "You're much better."

"Bella," I said adamantly. "We're not having this discussion anymore. I refuse to damn you to an eternity of night and that's the end of it."

"If you think that's the end, then you don't know me very well. You're not the only vampire I know."

"Alice wouldn't dare." If she did, I would have more than a "talk" with her.

"Alice already saw it, didn't she? That's why the things she says upset you." I looked away. Bella had hit it on the nail. "She knows I'm going to be like you… someday."

I wracked my brain for something to use against Alice, and then remembered the vision of Tyler Crowley's car. "She's wrong. She also saw you dead, but that didn't happen, either."

"You'll never catch _me_ betting against Alice."

Minutes passed in silence. In actual silence, for me. It was, sometimes, a relief I couldn't hear Bella's thoughts. When we were alone, far out, such as the meadow, thing were quiet for once. The corners of my mouth twitched.

"So where does that leave us?" Bella asked.

"I believe it's called an _impasse_," I answered.

She sighed. "Ouch."

I glanced at the clock. Time for some more drugs, perhaps. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she said stubbornly.

I smiled. "I don't believe you."

"I'm not going back to sleep."

"You need rest. All this arguing isn't good for you."

"So give in," she grinned at me.

"Nice try." I grabbed the nurse's button, and pushed it.

"No!"

"Yes?" a voice crackled.

"I think we're ready for more pain medication," I said clearly, looking pointedly away from Bella.

"I'll send in the nurse." Poor lady. I wondered if she had to work here every day, sending the same dull message to everyone.

Bella's face was too tense, too worried. "I won't take it."

I glanced at her IV bag. "I don't think they're going to ask you to swallow anything."

She panicked, and the monitor began to beat faster. I sighed. "Bella, you're in pain. You need to relax so you can heal," I soothed. "Why are you being so difficult? They're not going to put any more needles in you now."

"I'm not afraid of the needles. I'm afraid to close my eyes."

I smiled, and gently cupped her face in my hands. "I told you I'm not going anywhere. Don't be afraid. As long as it makes you happy, I'll be here."

She returned the smile, and said, "You're talking about forever, you know."

"Oh, you'll get over it – it's just a crush," I teased.

Bella shook her head. "I was shocked when Renee swallowed that one. I know _you_ know better."

Another point for the argument. "That's the beautiful thing about being human. Things change."

I laughed as the door opened again, this time allowing a nurse in, holding a syringe filled with an innocuous-looking fluid. "Excuse me," she said firmly. _No wonder the girl can't relax… with this one here. If I were her…_

I blocked her out quickly – I didn't need to hear her fantasies as well. I got up and walked to the other side of the room to watch.

"Here you go, honey," the nurse said calmly, filling the tube with the medicine. "You'll feel better now."

"Thanks," Bella said with no emotion in her voice. Her eyelids drooped almost immediately.

"That ought to do it," the nurse said, satisfied. I watched as she left, taking her and her lusty fantasies with her.

"Stay," Bella commanded as I stroked her cheek.

"I will. Like I said, as long as it makes you happy… as long as it's what's best for you."

Bella moved her head in what I supposed was supposed to be her shaking her head. "S'not the same thing."

I chuckled softly. "Don't worry about that now, Bella," I said in what I hoped was a calming voice. "You can argue with me when you wake up."

The sides of her mouth twitched. "'Kay," she mumbled.

I leaned down, and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

"Me, too."

I laughed again. "I know."

She moved her head slightly, and I smiled. I leaned down and pressed my lips to her gently. "Thanks," Bella whispered.

"Anytime."

"Edward?" she mumbled softly.

"Yes?"

"I'm betting on Alice."

* * *

**A/N: Ahh... I should've expanded on the ending, but I have to leave soon, so it's going to stay like that for now. So, review? Please?**


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